Thoughts
by MistressOfImladris
Summary: Elrohir suffers from a severe case of Thoughtsitis before being sworn into the Imladris Guard.


It was a beautiful day in the Hidden Valley of Imladris as fifty young Elves were sworn into service under Lord Glorfindel by the Master of the Valley. It had been decided weeks prior to the present day that the Hall of Fire would be used for the ceremonies, while the celebrations would be held outside, if the day was pleasing.

The Hall had been cleared of the smaller pieces of furniture. Those that were too large to be removed had been pushed up against the wall. Elrond's chair had been set against the wall as well, and a dark blue carpet lead up to it.

Among the warriors-to-be were the twin sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. They, and the other _ellon_ , were waiting nervously outside in the courtyard. Glorfindel and Elrond had promised to come out closer to the set time to run over what would happen, but it was only quarter of an hour before the first Elf was to be sworn in and still neither lord had made an appearance.

The crowd of Elves were murmuring to themselves, going over the pledge they would be forced to say aloud, or merely attempting to calm their nerves by speaking to each other.

 _What in Arnor am I getting myself into?_ Elrohir Peredhil silently asked himself as he paced to and fro. _There is time yet to back out..._

He glanced at his brother, who was equally nervous in appearance. _But then Elladan would be by himself._

Again he glanced around, this time at all the Elves waiting impatiently. _Though perhaps I ought to be thankful that we have each other, unlike these poor Elves. The closest they are to each other is through the bonds of friendship._ He looked to two Elves who he knew had been enemies since childhood. _And in some cases, not even that._

Finally Elrond and Glorfindel appeared through a side door. The Elves snapped to attention, forming one long, straight line, and pressing their right hands over the left breast.

The two lords nodded in acknowledgment, and the candidates relaxed slightly. Elrond began to speak:

'Each of you has expressed to Lord Glorfindel a desire to be numbered among the Imladris Guard.'

He paused for a moment, observing the Elves' discomfort.

'After passing the tests, you all became eligible to be accepted into the Guard, under command of Lord Glorfindel. At the request of certain Elves,' – here he glanced at Elladan and Elrohir, who coloured slightly, – 'I have come to rehearse with you your actions.'

 _Do not make it complicated, Adar, do not make it complicated_. Elrohir willed his father to sense his pleas.

'When your name is called, you will walk up the carpet till you are before me. Once there, kneel down without hesitation, and fold your hands.'

Glorfindel broke in. 'And do not gasp and struggle to regain your freedom when he folds his hands, with yours in between his, for he is not attempting to gauge your ability to break away from enemy clutches.'

Nervous laughter came from the solemn line. Even Elrond had to bite back a smile. _I suppose I was a little too dark and foreboding_ , he thought to himself. 'Thank you, Glorfindel, for your priceless intervention. I am sure that it has relieved the minds of these poor Elflings.

Beside him, Elrohir felt Elladan change position, and he sensed impatience mixed with nervousness through their bond.

'I will then ask for your name, attempting to forget the fact that I just heard it called, and ask what your intentions may be. After you state them, I will ask you to recite the oath you have memorized and present you with your new sword. Then you have nothing left to do except kiss this ring,' – he held up his right hand and gestured to the emerald-studded gold band. 'Afterwards, walk to my right, past Glorfindel, and stand where he motions you to. I believe that that will be along the wall, right?' Glorfindel nodded in the affirmative. 'Am I clear?'

This was met with a chorus of Yeses, though the facial expressions did not exactly match the vocal response.

 _Maybe he heard me, maybe he did not,_ Elrohir thought. _But it does not sound too involved._

'Very well, then.' He turned to the Elf beside him. 'Glorfindel? Shall we go inside?'

Glorfindel nodded and turned to the candidates. 'Good luck, all of you. Do not be too nervous. Elrond shall not bite if you mess up a little.'

'That did not help, Glorfindel,' Elladan called back. 'But thank you anyways.'

Glorfindel laughed and turned back to the door from whence they came.

 _What if I forget the oath? What will happen then? What if I get through the ceremony but do not make a good warrior?_ Elrohir realised that his thoughts were helping no more than had Glorfindel's last comment. But they would not stop popping into his mind. _What if I cannot obey a difficult plan from either Glorfindel or Adar? What then? Will I be removed from the Guard?_

Before long, Erestor came out. He had volunteered to call the candidates in one at a time when it was their turn.

'They are ready. Starting from the end on the left, you shall go in when I tell you to do so. No switching places.'

Elrohir looked down the line and counted the heads silently. He was the seventeenth, Elladan was the sixteenth. _Hopefully the first fifteen do no take too long so that El and I will not have to face prolonged torture._

Erestor turned to the pale but resolute Elf on the end. 'You may go in. Do not walk to quickly, but not too slowly, either. Look straight ahead, not to the sides and _certainly_ not to the floor! Good luck!'

The Elf went through the side door. _Fifteen to go,_ Elrohir thought. How was he to bear this? He began to go over the oath in his head again, just to keep the thoughts away. _'I, Elrohir son of Elrond, do swear before you, Elrond, Lord of the Realm of Imladris, to obey to the best of my ability the explicit and implicit orders given me by you and any other of my commanding officers...'_ _Oh, what came next? Ah, yes._ _'I swear that, should the occasion arise, I shall lay down my life for Imladris and for her people though I see a way to save my own skin – I mean life.' Elladan. Why did you have to joke about that? If Adar had heard you, he would have removed you from the candidacy with no qualms or regrets._ _Well, to continue: 'So say I, Elrohir son of Elrond, on this, the seventeenth day of June of the year seven hundred thirty-five of the Third Age.'_

He sighed in relief. He started as he again heard Erestor's voice. 'Threndil, you may go in.'

Elrohir counted again quickly and found he was now the thirteenth. He had not noticed Erestor calling the name of the second Elf. Butterflies erupted in his stomach with a vengeance.

 _I will be fine as long as I do not make that foolish mistake,_ he reassured himself. _Just out of curiosity, I wonder how Adar will react if I do say it. I wonder if he will laugh. More likely, he will be furious. I expect he will throw me out of the room by the ear._

Being humorous seemed to help. Again he repeated the oath, making sure to say it perfectly this time.

Before long, Elladan was called in. _I am next_ , Elrohir said to himself as he squeezed Elladan's hand, this time reassuring his brother.

Five minutes later, Erestor motioned to him. He gulped, but somehow his legs moved and he made his way inside.

The Hall was packed with the families and friends of the fifty Elves. His mother and grandparents, who had come down from Lórien for the occasion, were standing in the front row, beaming at Elladan. _I will be fine, I will be fine._ He began the seemingly-endless walk down the carpet. _I-will-be-fine-I-will-be-fine-I-will-be-fine,_ he repeated, stepping in time to his determined thought.

He followed Erestor's advice, staring straight ahead at his father, who stared right back (why did he have to have such intense eyes? It made it extremely difficult to hold his gaze at times.)

At last he was before his father's chair. _I have gotten this far; as long as I remember the oath, I should be fine._

'What is your name?' Elrond asked after Elrohir knelt and folded his hands.

'Elrohir Elrondion, my lord.'

'And what may your intentions be, Elrohir Elrondion?' Not a flicker of emotion passed over Elrond's face. If Elrohir had been in his place, he would probably break out laughing as he asked his own son what his son's name was.

'To be accepted into the Imladris Guard, that I may protect Imladris and her people with all my being.' _Maybe this is not so bad_ , he thought to himself.

Elrond covered Elrohir's folded hands with his own. 'If these are truly your intents, then, pledge your allegiance to Imladris and to me, as her lord.'

 _You can do it, Elrohir. Just do not panic!_ He began:

'I, Elrohir son of Elrond, do swear before you, Elrond, Lord of the Realm of Imladris, to obey to the best of my ability the explicit and implicit orders given me by you and any other of my commanding officers...'

 _No, no, Eru have mercy on me! I cannot forget it! Elladan!_

He felt for his bond with Elladan and found it immediately.

 _El, what comes next?_

 _Where are you?_

' _Commanding officers...'_

 _Say, 'I swear that, should the occas–'_

 _Ah yes, thank you!_

All this had taken barely five seconds. Elrohir had not taken his eyes off his father while speaking to Elladan. When he observed his father subtly raising his right eyebrow, he hastily continued.

'I swear that, should the occasion arise, I shall lay down my life for Imladris and for her people though I see a way to save my own life. So say I, Elrohir son of Elrond, on this, the seventeenth day of June of the year six hundred thirty-five of the Third Age.'

 _Haha! Finished!_ A slight smile threatened to curve his lips.

'So hear I, Elrond, Lord of Imladris, and I hold you to your oath. Your actions shall be rewarded as they have shown themselves worthy of being so: fealty with love, valour with honour, disloyalty and oath-breaking with vengeance.'

Elrond removed his hands from Elrohir's and took the sword Glorfindel held out to him. 'Línoron, Heartseeker,' Glorfindel murmured to Elrond as he let go of the sword.

'Elrohir, this is Línoron. Guard it well and use it justly in your need. Remember that it has the ability to take lives or save them, and that once a life is taken by a sword, it cannot be regained.'

Elrohir dipped his head in response. 'I will remember,' he murmured.

Elrond then extended his right hand with the emerald ring on it. He had taken great care to make sure to put this ring on his right hand, since his left held Vilya.

After kissing the jewel, Elrohir rose and glanced at Glorfindel. 'Beside Elladan,' the commander said in a low tone, smiling proudly at Elrohir.

Elrohir went towards his twin, who was fidgeting slightly. He blew out his breath as he came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Elladan. _That was too close,_ he said to Elladan through their bond.

 _Well, at least you made it. Let us sit back and watch the other ones quake before Adar's wrath._

Grins broke out on both twins' faces, and a soft snicker, hardly able to be heard over Elrond and the candidate's voices. Celebrian however, with her motherly instinct, turned her eyes to them sharply, frowning, and shook her head.

The twins turned their attention back to their father and the slightly-stuttering Elf kneeling before him. They could laugh later.

The End


End file.
